Testing inflation with new CMB polarization measurements
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Oxford Physics
Abstract
This project addresses the question, 'Did cosmic inflation happen in the early Universe?' If so it would have produced a gravitational wave background, imprinted on the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background. In the past year a tantalizing polarized signal was seen by the BICEP2 experiment, but only at a single wavelength, and was then found to be most likely due to contaminating emission from our own Milky Way. To make progress, in Oxford we are part of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope collaboration, with ACTPol currently observing the CMB in Chile. AdvACT will be the third generation receiver in operation 2016-18; it will map half the sky in polarization at multiple wavelengths, and will be able to look for smaller inflationary signals than yet reached.
This project will have some emphasis on the theoretical interpretation of the possible B-mode polarization signal, and on analysis techniques including the modeling and separation of polarized Galactic foregrounds. The work will also include simulations and preparations for next generation instruments, including the ground-based 'CMB-S4' project, and the LiteBIRD satellite. A core part of the PhD is anticipated to be spent working with Japanese colleagues on LiteBIRD science.
This project will have some emphasis on the theoretical interpretation of the possible B-mode polarization signal, and on analysis techniques including the modeling and separation of polarized Galactic foregrounds. The work will also include simulations and preparations for next generation instruments, including the ground-based 'CMB-S4' project, and the LiteBIRD satellite. A core part of the PhD is anticipated to be spent working with Japanese colleagues on LiteBIRD science.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
Joanna Dunkley (Primary Supervisor) | |
Ben Thorne (Student) |
Publications
Ade P
(2019)
The Simons Observatory: science goals and forecasts
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Alonso D
(2017)
Simulated forecasts for primordial B -mode searches in ground-based experiments
in Physical Review D
Suzuki A.
(2018)
The LiteBIRD Satellite Mission - Sub-Kelvin Instrument
in ArXiv e-prints
Thorne B
(2018)
Finding the chiral gravitational wave background of an axion- S U ( 2 ) inflationary model using CMB observations and laser interferometers
in Physical Review D
Thorne B
(2017)
The Python Sky Model: software for simulating the Galactic microwave sky
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Thorne Ben
(2019)
Removal of Galactic foregrounds for the Simons Observatory primordial gravitational wave search
in arXiv e-prints
Studentship Projects
Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ST/N504233/1 | 30/09/2015 | 30/03/2021 | |||
1662894 | Studentship | ST/N504233/1 | 30/09/2015 | 31/03/2019 | Ben Thorne |
Title | Python Sky Model |
Description | This is a Python code for the simulation of the polarized Galactic microwave sky. |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2016 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | This software provides an easy-to-use interface for the generation of synthetic CMB observations. As such it has been used within the CMB forecasting community to implement studies of the capability of future CMB telescopes to mitigate the impact of complicated polarized Galactic foregrounds. |
URL | https://github.com/bthorne93/PySM_public |